University of Florida Task Force on Undergraduate Education - January 2010
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University of Florida
Task Force on
Undergraduate Education
January 2010
1
Table of Contents
Members of the Task Force ............................................................................................................ 2
Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ 3
The University of Florida Undergraduate Experience .................................................................... 6
Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 6
Vision for Undergraduate Education ...................................................................................... 6
Mission of Undergraduate Education at the University of Florida ......................................... 6
UF’s Core Values .................................................................................................................... 6
The Charge of the Task Force on Undergraduate Education at UF ........................................ 7
A Short History of the Process................................................................................................ 7
Summary of Findings .................................................................................................................. 9
Signature and/or Capstone Experiences ............................................................................. 9
General Education Curriculum ......................................................................................... 12
The Honors Program ............................................................................................................. 15
Undergraduate Research/Creative Work ......................................................................... 16
Enhancement of Faculty Teaching Skills and Advising ....................................................... 19
Faculty-Student Interaction................................................................................................... 20
The Residential Experience at the University of Florida ...................................................... 22
Global Competence and International Education ................................................................. 23
Internship (Experiential Learning) Opportunities .......................................................... 24
Service Learning and Civic Engagement .......................................................................... 25
Promotion of Life-Long Learning ..................................................................................... 26
Leadership Development/Co-curricular Activities .......................................................... 27
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 272
Members of the Task Force
Edward Schaefer Dean’s Office, College of Fine Arts, Co-chair
Jill Varnes Health Education and Behavior, College of Health and Human
Performance, Co-chair
Bonnie Bernau Educational Programs, Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art
David Bloomquist Civil and Coastal Engineering, College of Engineering
Marian Borg Sociology, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Keith Carodine University Athletic Association
Mary Kay Carodine Student Affairs
Barbara Curbow Behavioral Science and Community Health, College of Public
Health and Health Professions
Sheila Dickison Dean’s Office, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Bruce Edwards Mathematics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Catherine Emihovich Dean’s Office, College of Education
Wayne Griffin Counseling Center, Division of Student Affairs
Martin Gundersen Architecture, College of Design, Construction and Planning
Stephanie Hanson Dean’s Office, College of Public Health and Health Professions
Selman Hershfield Physics, College of Liberal Arts and Scien
Susanne Hill International Center
David Julian Zoology, College of Liberal Arts and Scien
Albert Matheny Academic Advising Center, College of Liberal Arts and Scien
Andy McCollough Dean’s Office, Warrington College of Business Administration
Erica McCray Special Education, College of Education
William McKeen Journalism, College of Journalism and Communications
Michael McKenzie Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy
Toshi Nishida Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering
Maureen Novak Pediatrics, College of Medicine
Michael Olexa Food and Resource Economics, IFAS
Diane Porter-Roberts Housing for Academic Initiatives
Brian Ray School of Business, Warrington College of Business
Administration
Mark Rush Economics, Warrington College of Business Administration
Judith Russell University Libraries
Elaine Turner Office of the Dean, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
Daniel A. Wubah Undergraduate Affairs, Provost’s Office (Liaison)
The task force would like to add a note of appreciation to Kim Pace and Arlene Tabag
(Provost’s Office), Ashley Ramon (graduate student HHP), and Bernard Mair (who succeeded
Daniel Wubah in the Office of Undergraduate Affairs) for their assistance in the completion of
this report.3
Executive Summary
We believe this report represents a credible review of the major assets and challenges of the
current undergraduate programs at the University of Florida (UF), in addition to a number of
recommendations that will improve these programs.
The first draft of the report was developed in the Fall semester of 2008. The draft was then vetted
by various groups and individuals, representing diverse units on campus. In particular, during the
Fall semester of 2009, the task force engaged the entire campus in open meetings to obtain their
views on the report. This campus-wide vetting confirmed the major portions of the report and
resulted in some modifications which are included in this final version. Despite this intensive
initial process, we view the report as an evolving document that should be reviewed at least
biannually in order to assure that its findings and recommendations remain current and viable in
a rapidly changing environment.
All of the recommendations of the task force are listed in the Summary of Findings section
beginning on page 10. These findings are presented in the context of the sub-committee reports
from which the recommendations were generated. All of these recommendations should be
vetted by the Provost, perhaps revised and/or expanded, and then carefully considered for
implementation. The complete reports of each subgroup can be found on the Provost web site at
http://www.aa.ufl.edu/search_committees/UndergradCurriculum/.
We believe that the following recommendations, synthesized from the larger list, are a good
starting point. They are achievable, and implementing them will bring significant results. They
are offered with sensitivity to current budgetary restrictions, but some improvements will require
resources.
Overall Implementation
• Adopt the vision, mission and values for UF’s undergraduate experience proposed by the
task force.
• Develop specific tools to recognize and support the undergraduate teaching mission of
the University of Florida.
• Increase opportunities for interdisciplinary focus via experiential learning, research, and
degree programs.
Signature Experiences
• Work towards the creation of a UF signature experience, initiate a pilot program with the
2010-11 incoming freshman class using the themed approach and begin the development
of the electronic portfolio. Also identify junior or senior level students to act as mentors
to this class.
• Increase the role of First-Year Florida in the creation of a signature UF experience,
including the linking of First-Year Florida classes to residential experiences in some
sections.4
General Education
• Reexamine the purpose of the general education curriculum, articulate this purpose in all
processes related to the general education curriculum, reconsider ways in which the
curriculum is fulfilled, and expand the charge of the General Education Committee to
include all aspects of the general education curriculum.
Honors
• Develop the Honors Program into a four-year program, implementing the other
recommendations regarding this program as a part of this expansion.
Enhancement of Teaching Skills and Advising / Faculty-Student Interaction
• Reinstitute the University Center for Excellence in Teaching (UCET) or some similar
center for teaching effectiveness, with a charge to implement the recommendations
regarding the enhancement of teaching.
• Address recommendations regarding advising, as a critical companion to effective
teaching/learning, in the reinstituted center for teaching excellence.
• Coordinate efforts between the UCET, the Office of Student Affairs, and the General
Education Committee to implement the recommendations regarding the enhancement of
faculty-student interaction.
Global and International Education
• Consider an international certificate program.
• Develop specific suggestions of different ways for students to internationalize their
studies, including alternate tracks.
Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity
• Charge a specific office/group, under the direction of the Associate Provost for
Undergraduate Affairs with the task of assisting in the development of, promotion of,
oversight of, and accountability for, interdisciplinary, creative and research oriented
studies.
Leadership Development/Co-curricular Activities
• Create a co-curricular transcript for students. This may be part of the eportfolio (as
detailed on page 12) or something separate.
• Utilize the themed education model (1st bullet signature experiences) to develop specific
leadership opportunities for juniors and seniors.
Resource reallocation
• Reallocate resources in the present budget planning cycle to give adequate support to the
implementation of the recommendations concerning the general education curriculum
and to the reinstitution of the UCET.
Service Learning and Civic Engagement
• Incorporate service learning and civic engagement goals into the theme-based curriculum
and e-portfolio initiatives in clear, accountable ways.
Recommended Timeline
The task force would like to propose a plan of action once this final report is received by the
provost. In February of 2009 the Provost should prepare a response to this document which
should include the recommendations (revised if necessary) that he has accepted, and a method
for continual assessment to determine the effectiveness of the implemented changes and the state
of the undergraduate programs. The goal is to be able to present this report, together with the
Provost’s response, to the Faculty Senate and the Board of Trustees in March - April of 2010.5 During the 2010-11academic year an implementation committee should be formed and charged with developing an implementation plan with August of 2011 as the date for beginning the implementation.
6
The University of Florida Undergraduate Experience
Introduction
Our faculty and students at the University of Florida are the ones responsible for shaping the
undergraduate experience. This experience takes place within the context of a much larger
university environment supported by a cadre of professional staff engaged in rounding out the
total curricular and co-curricular experiences that we believe is uniquely UF. To clearly define
what that experience is may be our ultimate challenge. As noted by one member of the task
force, “Our students are first Gators, then they become a business or nursing or whatever
student.”
The initial vision set forth in the charge to the task force to “being ranked among the best in a
public AAU university,” was viewed by the task force as rather limiting. With this in mind, the
task force proposes the following vision and mission for undergraduate education at the
University of Florida including a set of core values that we believe will facilitate defining what a
UF undergraduate experience is.
Vision for Undergraduate Education
University of Florida graduates will have a well-developed capacity for intellectual inquiry,
demonstrated competency in a chosen discipline, and a strong sense of personal, social, and
global responsibility.
Mission of Undergraduate Education at the University of Florida
The mission of undergraduate education at the University of Florida is to support teaching,
research and service by developing in our students intellectual curiosity, critical thinking,
creative potential, cultural sensitivity and sense of purpose. The University of Florida is
committed to providing instruction of the highest quality, opportunities for research and
innovation, and co-curricular programs that build students’ capacity for understanding
themselves and the world, while fostering their commitment to the service of others locally,
nationally and internationally.
UF’s Core Values
In the fulfillment of our mission we are guided by these core values:
Creativity
Using imaginative thinking to solve problems and expand knowledge.
Diversity
Embracing and respecting our differences, recognizing that these differences
enrich us all.
Engagement
Extending our involvement in the community, the nation and the world.7
Intellectual curiosity
Appreciating learning as a lifelong quest for knowledge.
Leadership
Developing the skills to succeed and inspiring others to succeed.
Responsibility
Recognizing each person’s role, including our own, in ensuring a rewarding
educational experience.
The Charge of the Task Force on Undergraduate Education at UF
The task force was charged by the provost to review the entire undergraduate experience at the
University of Florida and to make recommendations toward achieving the vision for
undergraduate education at UF. The recommendations were to be ambitious, but achievable.
Although we were encouraged to ignore the realities of the state’s looming fiscal situation which
could have far-reaching implications for any recommendations our task force might make, we
found this somewhat difficult to do. What resulted was some creative thinking related to what
might be feasible for more immediate implementation versus what would require additional
resources and therefore would be suggested for a future point in time. For this reason,
recommendations are presented in a phased approach for implementation with consideration of
what might require additional resources, what might require resource reallocation and what may
be considered cost-neutral.
A Short History of the Process
In June of 2008, the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Affairs at the time, Daniel Wubah,
gave a presentation to the University of Florida Board of Trustees (BOT) regarding the future of
undergraduate education at the University of Florida
(http://www.aa.ufl.edu/search_committees/UndergradCurriculum/documents/BOT_presentation_
June2008_Daniel_Wubah.ppt). In his presentation he offered a vision of the “UF undergraduate
programs being ranked among the best among public AAU universities.” To this end, the
presentation challenged the BOT to consider not only the inherent strengths of the current
undergraduate experience, but also some of the characteristics of a program that would be
developed beyond the limits of even those strengths. The presentation also proposed an
ambitious plan to review the entire undergraduate experience and propose recommendations for
its enhancement – all within the coming academic year. The Board of Trustees accepted Dr.
Wubah’s proposal.
In August and September 2008, a task force of 28 members was assembled by the provost. The
members of the task force were selected with the goal of having representation from as many
parts of the UF undergraduate program as possible and of having a membership that would bring
a blend of UF’s institutional history and some new ideas.
On October 3, 2008 the task force held its first meeting during which Provost Joseph Glover
gave the task force its charge to review the undergraduate experience at UF and to make
recommendations that were ambitious but achievable.8 The task force began its work immediately, dividing the task force into two subgroups and electing chairs of those subgroups before the first meeting was dismissed. These subgroups were to focus on current practices and best practices within several areas defined as important for the undergraduate experience. William (Andy) McCollough, Professor and Senior Associate Dean of the Warrington College of Business Administration, and David Julian, Assistant Professor of Zoology, were elected as chairs of the subgroups respectively. As a means of giving some structure to the process, the subgroups were requested to study the undergraduate experience from the following perspectives: • General Education • Signature Experiences/Capstone Experiences • Faculty-Student Interaction • Faculty Teaching Skills and Advising • Honors Program • International Experiences/Global Competency • Internships, Service Learning, Civic Engagement • Lifelong Learning • Residential Experiences • Undergraduate Research/Creative Work • Leadership These subgroups did not preclude the discussion of other areas in the undergraduate experience. They were selected simply as a means to give some initial organization to the project. Subsequent conversation added leadership to the list. On October 28, 2008 the task force held an all-day retreat, during which progress reports were given and discussed and the collective wisdom of the group was engaged to begin to establish some priorities with regard to areas of focus and possible recommendations. After the retreat, subgroup members from current and best practices were asked to create an initial draft summarizing their areas of review including recommendations to strengthen or enhance the various areas of the undergraduate experience at UF. Those reports are summarized in this document. The full reports can be found on the Provost web site at http://www.aa.ufl.edu/search_committees/UndergradCurriculum/. The reports reveal that there are a number of areas of strength in the undergraduate experience here at UF. It is also evident, that these strengths may be in areas that are not actually available to all of our students. For example, all students do not have the opportunity for travel study programs or research with a faculty member and not all students complete their general education coursework at UF. In spite of these limitations, the task force believes that it is possible to structure a number of experiences that the majority of UF undergraduates will recognize as playing a critical role in their development as thoughtful, inquisitive, responsible people with high levels of integrity and respect for others.
9 During the remainder of the fall semester, another task force subgroup was formed to look for common threads that run through the reports that might be expressed in a clarified mission and vision for the undergraduate programs. The work of this subgroup resulted in the mission and vision statements in this report. The early part of the spring 2009 semester was spent organizing the recommendations into a cohesive and concise report, with continued review by the task force, primarily through electronic means. Although there are a number of excellent recommendations, the task force determined to first focus on those that could be accomplished with minimum new resources, although all would require a level of commitment to ensure implementation, the existing organizational structure would most likely be able to support implementation at some level. In summer and fall of 2009, meetings were held with most of the deans of the university requesting that their colleges engage in some process that would vet the proposal and give the task force feedback. There were also several open meetings for feedback held in mid-September. The comments received through these efforts all listed in Appendix A, on page 30??. The comments were considered carefully. Some offered new insights to the effort and found their way into the recommendations. Most, however, echoed existing parts of the document, giving affirmation that the task force had addressed the major issues on the campus. Summary of Findings This section will summarize the findings of the task force related to what is current practice on the University of Florida campus and what is considered best practices by other universities in the United States. We did not restrict the identification of best practices to the UF peer group as there are a number of outstanding academic institutions outside the peer group that are well known for their strong undergraduate programs. Signature and/or Capstone Experiences The first step in assessing current practices was defining “signature experience.” One definition could be a common experience for all students that helps to define or distinguish a university. The closest UF has to a common experience for all students is the Common Reading Program http://www.dso.ufl.edu/nsp/firstyearexperience/commonread, which distributes one book to all incoming freshmen during their Preview (orientation) session. This program was initiated in 2007. Students are expected to read the selected book prior to arriving on campus. Resource materials are provided to faculty so that the topics and themes from the book may be incorporated into freshman courses. Additional events (such as a visit from the author) are scheduled throughout fall semester. As this program matures, it is expected that faculty throughout the colleges will become more engaged in discussions with students about the book. Another definition of “signature experience” could be a capstone/defining/culminating experience that a student might describe as the highlight of their academic career. This experience would be different for each student and could include study abroad, research,
10 internships, service learning, and others. For purposes of this report, the information related to capstone/signature experiences has been combined in this section. The status of capstone experiences/courses at the University of Florida is mixed: some colleges and departments have them, others do not. The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) indicates that approximately half the seniors at UF have taken a “Culminating Senior Experience” before they graduate. One reason the number of capstone courses at UF has increased could be attributed to the requirement for Academic Learning Compacts including Student Learning Outcomes and Individual Student Assessments (Ref – UG catalog). Beginning in the Fall of 2001, UF has encouraged students to pursue opportunities for Enhancing the Undergraduate Experience http://www.admissions.ufl.edu/ugrad/experience.html, and until 2008, this information was given to incoming freshmen at Preview in the Undergraduate Catalog/Guide to Majors. Some colleges have adapted this list and use it in recruitment and orientation materials. The task force initiated a graduating senior survey in an attempt to determine the extent to which students actually participate in the suggested 2 of 5 experiences and found that the majority of respondents (84%) participated in community volunteer service and over half (52%) participated in leadership opportunities on campus. Additionally 36% reported working with faculty on research. To determine best practices, an e-mail inquiry was sent to the provost’s office of 18 AAU universities; responses were received from 12 (67%) at the time of writing this report. In addressing the question regarding signature experiences, most universities discussed these experiences in the context of the overall goals of the university for undergraduate education – similar to what UF has encouraged that is noted in the above paragraph. Related to the capstone experience, none of the universities responding required a university- wide capstone; however, some universities are moving in that direction, either by requiring it of entire colleges (e.g., Rutgers) or encouraging it of all programs (e.g., University of Wisconsin; Texas A&M -moving towards making the capstone an option for all students in all degree programs). Only one university defined the nature of the capstone at the university level (Texas A & M specifies that a student must complete a course project, research experience or senior thesis) although these capstones were still typically administered at a departmental level. The nature of the capstone experience cited included: integrative courses or senior seminars, a research project and/or a senior thesis, an arts portfolio, and internships. First year seminars were commonly offered but not required for all students. Most follow the format of UF’s First-Year Florida, designed as small groups (e.g., 20-25 students) of students. An interesting program offered at the University of Washington for freshmen only is an intensive month-long 5 credit class designed to meet the needs of incoming freshmen. According to the UW Web site the month-long class is designed to emphasize “interdisciplinary study, focused inquiry and writing” (www.artsci.washington.edu/discovery/). Half the programs polled specifically mentioned research as a signature experience; however, programs were quite varied, ranging from inquiry being part of a freshmen seminar (Rutgers) to upper division programs and research forums (e.g., Ohio State). One example is a summer
11
research program in biology at Arizona, which is open to engineering, computer science, math,
and physics students (http://ubrp.arizona.edu); this program is supported by National Institutes of
Health funding. A program at the University of Virginia combines research and service in a new
public service program called Jefferson Public Citizens. (Press release:
http://www.virginia.edu/uvatoday/newsRelease.php?id=6619).
Some universities, including UF via the University Scholars program, have financial support for
research experiences, ranging from small amounts for project supplies (Texas A&M) to larger
amounts to provide research support dollars for faculty (Rutgers, Ohio State) and combine efforts
through both honors and undergraduate research offices.
General education was also used to create integrative learning or connections between theory and
application as illustrated by University of North Carolina, that created an experiential and
supplemental general education program for arts and sciences
(www.unc.edu/depts/uc/06description.html).
Further consideration of the five experiences that UF encourages their undergraduates to have
led to the concept of capturing for the student and the university the many and varied experiences
from leadership to community service to research to international travel that our students have
while completing their baccalaureate degrees. Creating a signature experience could be
expressed in a themed approach for each year at UF such as the following:
• Freshman year: Awareness – First-Year Florida, common reading experience, residence
hall.
• Sophomore year: World view – study abroad, foreign language, in-depth exploration of
other cultures via coursework, or experiential learning.
• Junior year: Service – internships, community service, tutoring, alternative spring break.
• Senior year: Leadership – mentoring freshmen or other students in one of the areas
above, more active role on campus and in the community.
The student would then be required to create an electronic portfolio (e-portfolio) of their UF
experience including a culminating reflection page in the e-portfolio of the UF experience and
goals for the future. This e-portfolio would be an excellent way to capture the 4-year experience,
and serve as reference material for scholarship, graduate or professional school applications or as
a foundation for the student’s résumé for job applications.
Within any one of these themes the student might have the opportunity to also engage in research
or other creative work that could provide an umbrella for the four-year experience. For example,
a senior student who has engaged in research with a faculty member could serve as a mentor for
a freshman who may have an interest in working with the professor’s research. Thus the first-
year student’s awareness year revolves around research as does the 4th year student’s
leadership/mentoring experience.12
Recommendations:
• Signature or capstone experiences should be part of a broader expression of student
engagement and professional development and all university programs are encouraged to
offer such an experience.
• An informational Web site for students capturing the values of the institution and/or goals
for undergraduate education and the signature experiences aligning with these
values/goals would provide an overarching context in which these experiences take place.
• Toward the creation of a UF signature experience, initiate a pilot program with the 2010-
11 incoming freshman class using the themed approach and begin the development of the
electronic portfolio.
• The college and/or program should define and manage capstone experiences.
• Multiple options at various levels of academic progression should be available to
encourage participation and provide students with flexibility and choices matching their
professional development interests and needs.
• UF should strive to assist students in connecting the meaning of being at a
Doctoral/research extensive, land grant university from the beginning of a student’s
academic experience.
• Further exploration of other signature programs, such as the ones cited above, for
possible adaptation at UF would be helpful to improving the UF program.
• In situations in which individual programs do not offer a capstone experience for all
students, the university is encouraged to consider developing cross-disciplinary or theme-
based capstone options.
• Funding and associated criteria for such funding to support signature experiences should
be considered
General Education Curriculum
The General Education Requirement of 36 semester hours at UF follows closely the state
mandated distribution for courses with the additional requirement that students take coursework
described as international and diversity. The international and diversity requirement is met with
courses within the identified areas of composition (3 credits), humanities (9 credits),
mathematics (6 credits), physical and biological sciences (9 credits) and social and behavioral
sciences (9 credits) having either an N for international or D for diversity designation. The state
mandated limit of 36 hours was a result of the legislative requirement that baccalaureate degrees
conform to a 120 hours of credit for the degree. Even at the time this legislation was passed
(~1996) it is evident that the university was cognizant of the need to produce more culturally
competent graduates.
The General Education Committee is charged with establishing a philosophy for what constitutes
the general education component for a baccalaureate degree. The committee has submitted that
it does not currently accomplish its intent or provide a meaningful direction for the general
education curriculum at UF. Despite the dedicated efforts of a number of faculty as members of
the General Education Committee, progress towards purpose has been slow. In the last few
years the development of Student Learning Outcomes, the requirement of a minimum C grade,
the restructuring of the International and Diversity categories, and the annual review of a limited13
number of courses has provided a motivational threshold. However, the most often used
descriptors of the current status of the general education curriculum would include:
1) Fragmented; no systematic relationship to purpose;
2) driven by college major programs;
3) diluted by transfer and examination credit; and
4) service course syndrome with limited faculty ownership.
Although there are commonly held views about the purpose of the general education curriculum,
it does not seem that these values are fully or adequately articulated or incorporated into the
working philosophies of the institution. It would seem that regardless of the specific
recommendations or alterations to the curriculum of general education, the purpose of general
education at UF needs to be more clearly articulated and more fully ingrained into all the
processes and decisions regarding the general education curriculum.
Even though all students at UF complete general education requirements, not all students
complete these requirements on the UF campus. A substantial number of incoming students
(~40%) complete some or all of these requirements via dual enrollment, transfer courses from
community colleges, Advance Placement, or International Baccalaureate programs. This reality,
however, should not preclude the desire to create an effective and rewarding general educational
experience for UF students completing the requirements via UF courses.
The best practices subcommittee took a look at several different universities general
education programs as well as material from the National Leadership Council for Liberal
Education, & America’s Promise (2008) http://www.aacu.org/leap/index.cfm. Although
the report focused on the overall undergraduate education, there are within the context of
this report learning outcomes that could be used to create a framework for the general
education curriculum while continuing to meet the distribution mandated by the state of
Florida (36 semester hours in general education courses in the subject areas of
communication, mathematics, social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences). To
accomplish these outcomes might require a somewhat different framework for evaluating
courses requesting to be categorized as general education, but the current framework used
by the General Education Council has many of these elements even though they may not
be termed exactly the same.
In addition, it would be worthwhile to consider other models of general education.
Brown University (2008) recently completed a review of its undergraduate education
program which resulted in a commitment to retain their long standing approach to general
education. In many ways, UF’s somewhat open approach to general education is similar
to that of Brown in that students have a large array of courses from which to choose and
they have from admission to graduation to complete the general education requirements.
Students at UF do not share a common set of courses, but a common distribution of
courses. At Brown the students “share a responsibility for arranging their own core14 programs. Such responsibility highlights a basic goal of liberal learning – creative and independent thought” (Brown report 1, p. 3). Other institutional approaches toward general education range from theme-based programs to more course specific programs. One program the uses a combination of specified courses and theme-based areas is that of Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. Its model would be a useful springboard for further discussion about the model for the delivery of the general education curriculum at UF. At UF students are often tracked into specific general education courses due to tracking requirements for their major. These requirements along with the state distribution requirements suggest that UF students may not necessarily be “arranging their own core programs.” This is not to suggest that such an approach might not be feasible here. Another element of best practice with general education programs identified is the emphasis on the educational values expressed via the general education experience. While not specifically a part of general education, students in the university’s AIM program work largely in the general education curriculum while under the mentorship of the program. Thus, it seems appropriate to mention it here. The University of Florida’s AIM Program serves as an admissions access point for academically at-risk first-year students, as defined by the state of Florida Board of Governors Regulation 6C-6.0002 (Undergraduate Admission of First-Time, Degree-Seeking Freshmen) 2, which mandates that certain students who do not meet the “regular” admissions requirements of a particular SUS institution must participate in an individualized Educational Learning Plan (ELP). Since its inception in spring 1997, AIM’s foundation has been its enhanced academic curriculum in math and writing and its proactive advising strategy for participating students. AIM also was conceived as a coordinated effort of existing resources working together to provide a comprehensive transitional and retention program that begins shortly after AIM students are admitted to UF and continues throughout their first year. Thus, AIM has always relied on several university-wide offices to ensure that its students are provided with the academic development, advising support, pre-enrollment planning assistance, and enrichment activities necessary to succeed at the university. Over the course of the 10-year history of the program, roughly 3,500 new students have been provided access to UF through AIM, which historically has enjoyed a first-year retention rate only slightly below that of the general student body. 1 The curriculum at forty: A plan for strengthening the college experience at Brown, (2008). Brown University, Office of the Dean of the College, Providence, Rhode Island. 2 BOG 6C-6.002 (6) (b) 3 reads: “Each university will provide an individual learning plan for each student enrolled who does not meet the standard admissions requirements listed in Board of Governors regulation. The board of trustees will review the success of students admitted under the profile assessment process to ensure that their rates of retention and graduation remain near or above the institution’s average.”
15
Recommendations:
• Reexamine the purpose of the general education curriculum, with an eye toward
considering that UF’s general education curriculum may, indeed, have a purpose beyond
that of the state legislature’s view of the curriculum.
• The determined purpose should be clearly articulated and incorporated into all processes
and decisions regarding the general education curriculum.
• Rethink the ways in which this curriculum might be fulfilled more
creatively/comprehensively than in its current fragmented model.
• Enlarge the charge of the General Education Committee to specifically include all aspects
of the general education curriculum. It is important that the oversight responsibility be
faculty driven and if the existing General Education Committee is not the entity, then the
alternative must have faculty ownership.
• In addition, these increased responsibilities must have resource support. The current
budget (zero) cannot maintain an enlarged set of responsibilities.
• Retain the AIM program and study it for potential tools and services that might serve the
larger UF student community.
The Honors Program
A review of the current practice with the UF Honors Program indicates that the current program
is restricted to students during their freshman and sophomore years. Students with the
appropriate grade point average are encouraged to write an honors thesis through their home
departments, but the honors program has little involvement in these activities other than being
the repository for the completed work.
The staff in the honors office is small in number and there is no program-dedicated honors
faculty. Faculty members in the various colleges are, in effect, on loan to teach in the honors
program. In the opinion of the task force members reviewing this program, the classes offered
through the honors program are often among the most exciting and creative courses at the
university.
Honors students (in the first two years) are required to provide documentation of specified levels
of participation in at least one of the opportunities for Enhancing the Undergraduate Experience
(http://www.honors.ufl.edu/aboutus.html#requirements) in order to receive the honors program
certificate of completion. The only upper division (junior and senior year) honors program at UF
is in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS).
According to the CALS Web site, “CALS Honors course work integrates with required and
elective courses….To graduate as a CALS Honors Scholar, students must complete each of the
five experiences listed below and maintain an upper division GPA of at least a 3.75. All
participants must complete these five experiences: ALS 4921 (Honors Colloquium - 3 Credits);
ALS 4932 (Honors Orientation - 1 Credit); XXX 4909 (Honors Project 3 Credits); 2 - 3 credits
of additional Honors course work - see the Honors courses web page for further details; Write a
project report or Honors Thesis” (http://www.cals.ufl.edu/honors/index.shtml).16
A review of honors programs at peer institutions (including Penn State, Ohio State, Minnesota,
Texas at Austin, Georgia, Illinois, and Maryland) indicated that a four-year program was the
norm. Group discussion and further examination of the best practices at peer institutions resulted
in the recommendations that follow. The task force is aware that to expand the program to
encompass four years will not only require greater coordination with the college in which the
student’s major is housed, but additional resources as well, thus making the recommendation for
a development officer extremely important.
The University of Georgia raises $2-3 million a year from honors alumni. UF’s success in this
area is much more modest. The UF Foundation raised the funds to establish the Lombardi
Scholars program to fund honors students. Additionally, close to $2 million has been directed to
the UF Honors Program via the Wentworth Foundation and the Dunlevie Family. Annual
contributions from parents of current students have continued to increase over the years. The
youth of the program (initiated in 1989), the fact that students may not feel the strong affiliation
to honors after only two years, and no dedicated development officer have interacted to hamper
current fundraising efforts.
Many honors students enter the program with significant advanced placement hours and are in
effect sophomores (or even juniors) when they arrive on campus. This presents an excellent
opportunity to encourage the 4+1 degree programs. A number of students can take advantage of
these 4+1 programs, but all honors students should be encouraged to complete both their
baccalaureate and master’s degrees in four years, acknowledging that some degree programs
(many in the health sciences) do not lend themselves easily to this concept. This endeavor also
allows the university to meet its goal of increasing graduate hours and distinguishing itself from
other state institutions. Encouraging students to earn a graduate degree also may involve alerting
parents to the fact that in four years their child could have not only an undergraduate degree but
also a graduate degree. Involving parents in this effort is important because often the parents will
need to contribute some amount of financial support when their child takes the graduate courses.
Recommendations:
• Expand Florida’s honors program to a four-year program.
• Secure the services of a development officer for honors.
• More effectively use the honors program as a gateway to graduate study.
• Make better use of the faculty advisory board for the honors program. The board should
examine honors course offerings to be certain that quality is maintained.
Undergraduate Research/Creative Work
Undergraduate research can be found in the current undergraduate catalog within existing
compacts and curricula in most colleges. These take the form of special or individual study
coursework that requires faculty mentorship and supervision with a stated research objective. In
addition there is the requirement for all honors graduates to complete some form of individual
research and/or creative work as part of the requirement for graduation with an honors
designation. These usually take the title; thesis, senior paper, senior project or portfolio of
creative work supervised by individual colleges and submitted to the honors program. Many17
certificates for graduation in the undergraduate area require individual research or creative work
under the mentorship of faculty for the certification.
The University of Florida is also home to one of the premier university based art galleries in the
country, the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art. The opportunity for faculty across campus to use
the Harn Museum for encouraging and enhancing creative exploration in the form of research or
cultural appreciation is extensive. In the Harn Museum’s 5-year Strategic Plan (2009-2013)
there are two goals which directly speak to opportunities created for and by UF undergraduates.
One is to “weave the museum’s programs into the academic fabric of the University of Florida”
and the second is that we will “use the museum’s diverse art collections and exhibitions to
facilitate dialogue about global ideas and issues.”
To this purpose, undergraduate experiences at the Harn Museum are uniquely rich and varied. In
the past year, classes have been conducted at the museum by Harn staff and interdisciplinary UF
faculty in such wide-ranging disciplines as English and historic preservation. For example, using
a mixture of notable images and art on display, Dr. Rebecca Nagy, Harn Director and College of
Education Dean Catherine Emihovich co-taught a Summer B course entitled, “Depictions of
Children in Art: From Innocence to Hanna Montana.”
In addition, College of Design, Construction and Planning Professor Roy Graham’s course on
historic preservation provided students the opportunity to connect the Harn exhibition, Promises
of Paradise: Staging Mid-Century Design with their weekly class sessions, guest lectures and a
national four-day symposium also held at the Harn. In another example, for their first
assignment, English Department Professor Deborah Greger’s poetry class utilized artworks on
view in the Maggie Taylor exhibition, Almost Alice: New Illustrations of Wonderland for
inspiration and then conducted a public reading of their creations as part of the Museum Nights
program.
Daniel Pink, in his A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future, 3 makes a
compelling case that we are entering a “conceptual age” in which leaders will be people who can
help society take full advantage of the advances of the “information age.” These will be people
who can think conceptually, synthetically, innovatively, that is, creative people. Ken Robinson
echoes Pink’s ideas:
The world economies are caught up in a genuine paradigm change. The new
technologies do not mean simply that we have new ways of doing things we did before:
businesses, organizations and individuals everywhere are faced with entirely new forms
of work, leisure and ways of being…. There are profound consequences for the
development of creative abilities and for the whole idea of human resources, educations,
training and economic competitiveness. 4
Mitchell Resnick, the Director of MIT’s Media Laboratory, affirms both Pink and Robinson:
The shift in focus [during the 1990’s] from “information” to “knowledge” is an
improvement. But I prefer a different conception: the “Creative Society.” As I see it,
success in the future will be based not on how much we know, but on our ability to think
and act creatively. The proliferation of digital technologies has accentuated the need for
3
Pink, Daniel. A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future. New York: Penguin Books, 2005.
4
Robinson, Ken. Out of Our Minds: Learning to Be Creative. Chichester, West Sussex, UK: Capstone Publishing, 2001, 92.18
creative thinking in all aspects of our lives, and has also provided tools that can help us
improve and reinvent ourselves. Throughout the world, computing and communications
technologies are sparking a new entrepreneurial spirit, the creation of innovative products
and services and increased productivity. The importance of well educated creative
citizens is greater than ever before. 5
We believe that the future leadership in higher education will belong to those institutions who
understand the new needs, demands, challenges and opportunities of Robinson’s “conceptual
age” and Resnick’s “creative society” and are best able to implement the cultivation and
sustainability of the human resource of creativity on their campuses.
The College of Fine Arts is a natural venue for creative work on campus. However, it should not
be the only venue for such work. The activities of the Harn Museum and the College of Design,
Construction and Planning mentioned above are just two examples of creativity in other areas of
the campus. The fine arts can provide a model for creativity and also provide leadership in the
university’s quest for infusing creativity into the whole campus culture. At the same time, the
university’s commitment to the development of creative potential in students should be more
broadly based than work in the fine arts only. There should be a creativity requirement for all
students in the general education requirements.
Research (and, by the above examples, creative work) is one of the five activities UF
recommends for students to enhance their undergraduate experience
(http://www.admissions.ufl.edu/ugrad/experience.html). UF currently provides a variety of
activities that encourage and support undergraduate research including: University Scholars
Program (http://www.scholars.ufl.edu/), Journal of Undergraduate Research
(http://www.clas.ufl.edu/jur/), senior thesis, interdisciplinary studies major (in CLAS), Science
for Life Program (http://hhmi.chem.ufl.edu/metadot/index.pl), credit for undergraduate research
in some departments and through the honors program, the Undergraduate Research Database
(http://www.honors.ufl.edu/researchdatabase.html).
Best practices around the country indicate that to go to the next step an office of undergraduate
research that provides an organized approach to research across a large university is needed.
Among the many successful programs identified, the University of North Carolina provides a
superlative example of what such an office can do to provide visibility and support to the
research enterprise for students.
With a staff of four, the UNC Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR)
(http://www.unc.edu/depts/our/) “provides the information and resources to engage in original
inquiry, scholarship and creative work while you are an undergraduate at Carolina.” The office
lays out for students what to do starting as an incoming student, freshman, and sophomore and so
on. Highlights of this program include a First-Year Seminar that offers a research experience; a
sophomore “Reorientation Workshop” sponsored by Student Government; a course, IDST 195
(Modes of Inquiry), to learn about faculty research in many disciplines; course or courses that
5
Michael Resnick, Rethinking Learning in the Digital Age. In The Global Information Technology Report: Readiness for the
Networked World, edited by G. Kirkman. Oxford University Press. (2002) Accessed at
http://web.media.mit.edu/~mres/papers.html on 15 February 2008.19
teach research methodologies. The website itself is very helpful with various kinds of
information and advice (Top Ten Questions about Undergraduate Research, for example). OUR
also provides skill-building workshops on such issues as research proposal writing, poster
design, and navigating the IRB process.
The Carolina Research Scholars Program (CRSP) provides a specific means for students to have
an in-depth research experience in a systematic way. Students who complete the program
receive a designation on their transcript:” Carolina Research Scholar.” All students are eligible
to earn the CRSP designation. The criteria for completion of the program are: completion of the
IDST195 Modes of Inquiry Course and completion of at least two research intensive courses (6
credit hours). OUR maintains an online list of these courses in each department. There are also
lists of courses where a student is “coached” by a graduate student as they initiate a project.
Research intensive courses are those in which over half the class time is devoted to students
conducting original research and presenting research conclusions. Finally, a student must present
their results at the Annual Celebration of Undergraduate Research.
Recommendation
• Establish a creativity component in the general education requirement.
• Move towards a centralized Office of Undergraduate Research that provides help to
students in navigating the research process and provides information on existing
programs. An important first step would be to start in a modest way with the long-term
goal of having as vibrant a program as UNC’s, which is an excellent model.
Enhancement of Faculty Teaching Skills and Advising
In early 1995, the University Center for Excellence in Teaching (UCET) was created at UF. It
was a welcomed resource for those faculty and graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) seeking to
enhance teaching skills. Some of the services UCET provided included the Faculty Fellow
Program (FFP), Mid–Term Teaching and Learning Feedback Program, as well as tailored
workshops to focus attention on pedagogically effective and efficient practices for both campus
and online teaching and learning environments. In addition, consultation assistance to faculty
and graduate teaching assistants for integrating Web and internet communications tools and
strategies into their courses was provided.
Since the demise of UCET in 2004 there is little provided by UF in the way of faculty
development that focuses on the enhancement of teaching and learning, although there is a
Faculty Development Office under the Provost which provides several services that UCET had
implemented. There are several links in the Faculty Development section of the Provost’s Web
site under the heading of “Teacher-Scholar Development”
http://www.aa.ufl.edu/aa/facdev/develop/index.shtml.
For the past three years, the Provost’s Office has sponsored a one-day Advisers Workshop. This
professional development opportunity focuses on strategies for effective academic advising and
is open to faculty and staff involved in academic advising. The workshop is coordinated by the
Undergraduate Advising Council.20
The College of Agricultural and Life Sciences has provided its faculty with an annual one-day
Teaching Enhancement Symposium beginning in 2001. This symposium includes sessions on
teaching methods, professional development, and student mentoring. Faculty, advising staff, and
graduate students actively participate in the symposium, which has a typical attendance of 200-
250. Feedback on these symposia has been consistently high. CALS also has a Teaching
Resource Center (TRC) housed in the Department of Agricultural Education and
Communication. The TRC assists with programming for the Teaching Enhancement
Symposium as well as provides workshops on teaching/learning/advising topics. CALS and the
TRC have begun a program to support new faculty (and other interested faculty) called Teacher’s
College. The purpose of Teacher’s College is to assist faculty members in IFAS seeking to
improve their teaching skills and engage as a community of practice around learner-centered
teaching.
A number of our sister institutions have teaching centers worthy of emulation (University of
Virginia; Texas-Austin; and North Carolina – Chapel Hill to name a few). Having resources
where faculty and teaching assistants can go for help is critical for a top tier research university
such as UF. To ensure that UF provides the highest quality of education to our undergraduates it
is critical that we find ways to enhance the instructional skills of faculty and graduate teaching
assistants. Additionally, for our tenure-track faculty, teaching effectiveness has become a more
important element in the tenure and promotion process.
Recommendations
• Reinstitute UCET or some similar Teaching Effectiveness Center as soon as practicable.
• Further increase the center’s effectiveness with a plan to support increased collaboration
with the other college-specific faculty centers.
• This collaboration will help create a network of College centers - effectively leveraging
college and campus resources (including national resources) for faculty and GTAs,
campus wide.
• With regard to advising, the responsibility related to academic questions on degree
requirements falls primarily on the colleges or more appropriately the departments, where
specific questions on degree programs can be addressed. However, there are skills
related to the process of advising that transcend the specifics of academic programs that
could well benefit from university-wide programs and support.
Faculty-Student Interaction
For the purposes of this report, “faculty-student interaction” refers to interactions outside the
formal classroom setting. The quality and extent of faculty-student interactions have positive
effects on student learning, grade point average, intellectual self-concept, problem solving,
critical thinking, and student retention. These gains may be even greater for minority students,
especially when these students interact with faculty who are in the same minority group (Noel
and Smith 1996 6, Lundberg and Schreiner 2004 7, Cole 2007 8). Listed in increasing quality,
6
Noel, R.C., Smith, S.S. (1996). Self-disclosure of college students to faculty: The influence of ethnicity. Journal of College
Student Development, 37, 88-94.You can also read
